John 20:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And how could he have escaped if he had done this? He would naturally have spent much time on it. If he had delayed, he would have been caught. But why do the linen cloths lie separately, and the napkin folded separately? So that you may know this was done without haste and without confusion. One thing was placed separately, and another was placed and folded separately. Therefore the disciples believed in the Resurrection. When Christ later appeared to them, they had already been persuaded by what they saw. The fact that they were separated, some laid in one place and others folded in another, showed that this was done carefully. It was not done somehow, nor in confusion. And you, when you hear that Christ rose naked, cease spending madly on burial. What do these excessive and useless expenses mean? They cause great loss to those who bury, and bring no benefit to the dead. To tell the truth, they even harm them. Luxurious funerals have often caused graves to be plundered. They have caused one once buried with every refinement afterward to lie naked and unburied. O vainglory! What great power it displays amid tears themselves. To what madness it drives men! Many, to prevent robbery, tear the fine burial cloths and fill them with many spices. Thus they make them doubly useless to thieves and commit them to the earth. Is this not madness? Is it not derangement of mind to display splendor and then destroy it? No, you say, we devise all this so that they may lie safely on the dead body. What then? If thieves do not take them, will moths and worms not eat them? If moths and worms do not eat them, will time and corruption not destroy them? But suppose neither thieves, nor moths, nor worms, nor time, nor anything else destroys what is placed in the tomb. Suppose even the body remains unharmed until the Resurrection, and all these things remain new, strong, and fine. What profit is there for the departed, when the body will rise naked, and all these things remain here? They will bring us no benefit at the future scrutiny. But why, you say, was this done at Christ's burial? You must not compare Christ's burial with human burials. There too was the harlot who poured myrrh on His holy feet. Yet if something must be said about this, first, it was done by those who did not know the doctrine of the Resurrection. For this reason it says, "as the custom of the Jews is to bury" (Jn 19:40). Those who honored Jesus with burial were not of the Twelve. They were those who did not esteem Him very highly. The Twelve did not honor Him in this way, but by their death, by giving themselves over to slaughter, and by enduring many trials for His sake. That too was honor, but far lower than the honor I have just mentioned. Moreover, as I said, we are now speaking about men. Then all this was done for the Lord. And so that you may know Christ did not desire this at all, hear what He said: You saw Me hungry and fed Me, thirsty and gave Me drink, naked and clothed Me (Mt 25:35-39). Nowhere did He say: dead, and you buried Me. I say this not to abolish the custom of burial. No. I say it to cut off luxury and misplaced magnificence. Grief, sorrow, and compassion for the dead dispose one to this, you say. No. This comes not from compassion for the dead, but from vainglory. If you wish to show sympathy for the dead, I will show you another manner of burial. I will teach you to clothe him in garments that will rise with him and present him in splendor. These garments are not destroyed by moths, ruined by time, or stolen by thieves. What garments are these? They are the garment of almsgiving. This garment rises with the dead, because the seal of almsgiving remains with him forever. In these garments those will shine who then hear: You fed Me when I was hungry. These garments make the dead glorious, renowned, and secure. The present garments are nothing but food for moths and a table for worms. I say this not to forbid care for the dead. I say it so that you may do this with moderation, covering only the body and not committing it naked to the earth. If even the living should have nothing more than bodily covering, much more should the dead. A dead body has less need of garments than a living and breathing one. While we live, we need clothing both because of cold and for decency. Once we have died, we have none of these needs. We need burial cloths only so that the body may not lie naked. The best burial cloth for us is the earth itself, the most beautiful covering and the most fitting for our earthly body. Therefore, if now, when we have so many needs, we must seek nothing excessive, much more is pomp unfitting when such needs no longer exist. But people who see this will laugh, you say. If anyone laughs, it is clear that he should not be much regarded, since he is utterly foolish. Many, on the contrary, will rather admire us and praise our philosophy. This is not worthy of laughter. What we do now is worthy of laughter, when we weep, wail, and seem to bury ourselves with the dead. That deserves both laughter and punishment. Philosophy in all this, and moderation in clothing, brings us crowns and praise. In this matter all will praise us, marvel at Christ's power, and say: How great is the power of the Crucified! He has persuaded mortals and corruptible men that death is not death. They act as though they were not dying, but moving to a better country. He has persuaded them that this corruptible and earthly body will be clothed in a garment far more splendid than silk and gold-woven robes. It will be clothed in incorruption. Therefore they care little for funerals, but consider a virtuous life the best burial adornment. Thus all will speak of us when they see us living philosophically. But if they see us torn by grief, faint-hearted, and surrounded by a chorus of wailing women, they will laugh and mock us. They will condemn us a thousand times, reproaching us for senseless expense and vain labor. And we hear that all truly condemn us for this, and very justly. What excuse shall we have, when we adorn our body, which is destroyed by corruption and worms, yet despise Christ, thirsty, naked, and a stranger? Let us abandon this vain care. Let us bury the dead so that it may profit both us and them, to the glory of God. Let us distribute abundant alms for them and send them forth with this most beautiful provision for the journey. If the memory of departed famous men protected the living, as the Lord says, "I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David's sake" (4 Kgs 19:34), then almsgiving will do so much more. Almsgiving, yes, almsgiving raised even the dead, when the widows surrounded Peter, "showing the tunics and garments which Tabitha made while she was with them" (Acts 9:39). Therefore, when someone is dying, let the relatives of the dying person prepare burial clothing for him. Let them persuade him before his end to leave something to the poor. Let him depart with this garment. Let him leave Christ as his heir. If those who appoint kings as their heirs thereby leave their relatives in the greatest security, consider what favor he gains for himself and all his own who leaves Christ as heir together with his children. This is a beautiful garment for the dead. It is useful both to those who remain alive and to those who depart. If we are buried in this way, we shall appear splendid at the Resurrection. But if, caring for the body, we neglect the soul, we shall then suffer many evils and be exposed to great ridicule. It is no small shame to depart from here without virtue. It is not so disgraceful for the body to be cast out unburied as for the soul then to appear without good works. Therefore let us clothe the soul. Let us adorn it throughout our whole life. If during life we have neglected it, let us at least come to our senses at death. Let us charge our relatives to help us after death by almsgiving. By such mutual assistance to one another, we shall receive great boldness, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ. With Him, to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Where, again, can you see a man naked and unashamed? You find him in Christ. Peter, John, and James came to the tomb seeking the body and did not find it. They found the folded garments, so that it might be clear that after Christ's Resurrection the ancient image of Adam is restored in Him. He remains without garments, yet not naked, but clothed. Christ rose and put off the garments in which Adam had clothed himself. He was naked and did not appear naked. After the Resurrection the women saw the garments cast down. Martha and Mary see Christ, recognize Him, fall before Him, and do not see Him naked. How was He clothed? He had thrown the garments into the tomb. The soldiers divided the former garments. How then was He clothed? Why is the naked One not naked? I will ask another question. Why were the garments and the shroud seen in one place, while the napkin bound about the Savior's head was in another? Holy grace wished to show that the Resurrection occurred without confusion. Since the Jews intended to spread the rumor that the body had been stolen by the disciples, Christ leaves His garments in the tomb. Whoever steals a dead man steals him with his garments. The Savior could be seen coming out of the tomb like Joseph out of Egypt.

Every soul that rules over the passions is called Mary. Having been purified through dispassion, it sees in Jesus God and Man. For one of the Angels, sitting at the head, points to the Godhead. The other, sitting at the feet, points to the humbled Incarnation of the Word.

The tomb of the Lord is this world, or else the heart of each believer. The linen cloths are the logoi of sensible things, together with the forms of the virtues. The napkin that was on the Lord's head is the simple and uniform knowledge of intelligible things, together with the theology received through knowledge. Through this God the Word was known, for without this He, being above sensible and intelligible things, is wholly beyond our perception.

Moreover, the myrrh with which the body of Jesus Christ had been buried is a very adhesive substance. It would certainly have stuck the burial cloths very firmly to Him, so that they could not even be torn away. Therefore the linen cloths were laid separately from one another, and the napkin was carefully rolled up, so that we might know that Jesus Christ rose with authority, fearing no one and nothing.

The napkin was a small cloth, such as also covered the face of the dead Lazarus.

It must be noted that it is found not only "by itself," but also "folded" in one place. When a napkin is folded, neither its beginning nor its end is seen. Therefore the napkin that had been on the head is fittingly found folded. The height of the Godhead has neither beginning nor end. It is not born through a beginning, nor is it constrained by a limit.

But it is well added, "in one place," because God is not in the division of minds. God is in unity, and those who do not separate from one another by sectarian scandals deserve to possess His grace.

Since a napkin is ordinarily used to wipe away the sweat of those who labor, by the name of the napkin the labor of God may be expressed. Although He always remains calm and unchangeable in Himself, He proclaims that He labors when He endures the gross iniquities of men. Therefore He also says through the Prophet: "I am weary with holding it in" (Jer 6:11, according to the Vulgate).

But God appeared in the flesh and was wearied by our weakness. When unbelievers saw this labor of His Passion, they refused to honor Him. They would not believe that He was immortal in His Godhead, when they saw Him mortal in the flesh. Therefore Jeremiah also says: "Render to them, O Lord, according to the work of their hands. Give them blindness of heart; Your curse be upon them" (Lam 3:64-65).

So that the points of preaching might not pierce their hearts, they rejected the labor of His Passion. They held that same labor of His like a shield, so that they would not allow His words to reach them through the very thing by which they saw Him wearied even unto death.

What are we, if not members of our Head, that is, of God? Thus by the cloths of the body are signified the bonds of labors that now bind all the elect, that is, His members. Therefore the napkin that had been on His head is found separately, because the very suffering of our Redeemer was far separated from our suffering. He innocently endured what we endure through guilt. He voluntarily deigned to undergo the death to which we come unwillingly.

Nevertheless, for John it was enough to see these memorials of Jesus' stay in the tomb, so that he might become certain of His rising (Jn 20:8-9). Behold the first believer in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ after the myrrh-bearing women, to whom this had been announced by the Angel.

What brought John to faith? With all the attentiveness of love, John received the words of Jesus into his heart. Especially deeply impressed upon his spirit were the words of the final discourse, in which the Lord repeatedly spoke of His life after death and His appearing to His disciples.

The preservation of the linen cloths and the napkin in the tomb, and not in disorder, removed every thought of the theft of Jesus' body. What need would thieves have to remove the linen cloths? How could they do this with a guard present? And who would steal Him? The enemies of Jesus? But they were precisely concerned to keep Him secured. His friends? The apostles were all together and all in fear, not leaving the house, with its doors shut because of the Jews.

Something else had to be here. John's deep, inward, self-collected spirit now helped him compare these phenomena with the Lord's former words. He still lacked a clear unfolding of this matter from Scripture, from which his spirit often drew instruction. Yet these considerations made the thought of the Lord's Resurrection certain for John. At least John's heart believed in it. Perhaps the same Angel placed this thought in him, or at least strengthened it, imperceptibly to John himself.

And what of Peter? He too did not agree with Mary Magdalene's supposition that the Lord's body had been stolen. Yet the feelings of being deprived of the Lord, and of his own guilt before Him, were so dark that the thought of the Resurrection could not shine with joy in his soul. He left the tomb in the same perplexity with which he had run to it. Of course he also asked Joseph whether he knew where Jesus' body had gone, and from him he could learn nothing.

From John's Gospel we see that this took place before all the women returned to the city. It happened because of Mary Magdalene's message, and Peter did not make this journey alone, but with John. Mark, after setting forth the angelic message to the women about the Lord's Resurrection, begins the history of the appearances of the Risen One Himself. First of all, he recounts the Lord's appearance to Mary Magdalene.

Yet he does not describe in detail the circumstances in which this appearance took place. He says only that it was the first appearance, and that the disciples did not believe Mary Magdalene's report.

On the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb and sees that the stone has been rolled away from the tomb. The thought arises in her that the body of her beloved Teacher and Lord had no rest even in the tomb, but had been carried away. With this sorrowful thought in her soul, she runs quickly to Peter and John, without having examined the tomb.

On the way she may have met her companions, who likewise were going to the Lord's tomb, and told them her sad supposition. Of course, she thought that after examining the tomb her companions had reached the same conclusion about the Lord's body. Therefore, when she came to the apostles, she said in the name of all the women: "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."

Peter and John rose and hurriedly ran with Mary to the tomb. The young John ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. He did not, however, enter the tomb, but only bent down to see its interior. Therefore he could make out only the linen cloths lying in the tomb.

When Peter came up, with his usual impetuosity he immediately entered the tomb. John entered after him. And behold, they saw that the linen cloths with which Jesus' body had been wrapped, and the napkin that had been on His head, lay carefully folded in their places. Their order and condition clearly showed that there had been no theft of Jesus' body.

This, however, produced a different effect on Peter and John. The latter saw and believed (Jn 20:8), while the former only marveled within himself at what had happened (Lk 24:12). Having examined the Lord's tomb, Peter and John returned again to their own.

At the moment when Mary Magdalene brings them the unexpected news, they know that the Lord's tomb had been sealed and guarded by a watch of Roman soldiers, Mt 27:66. She tells them that the stone has been rolled away from the tomb and that the guard is no longer there. The guard had probably already fled when Magdalene was at the tomb. Peter and John do not yet fully understand the event. Their hearts beat more strongly with anxiety and hope. Yet before all else they hasten to see with their own eyes exactly what has happened.

John, being younger than Peter, naturally runs faster than he and reaches the tomb first. Yet he does not enter the tomb, being seized by reverent fear. He only "stooped down," that is, bent over and looked with strained attention into the opened tomb, now guarded by no one and apparently empty.

He does not enter the tomb before Peter because, with his characteristic humility, he acknowledged Peter's seniority over himself. He also remembered the Lord's words: "You are Peter," Mt 16:18.

At this time Peter comes up and, without stopping, enters the burial cave, for his soul thirsted to grasp more quickly the mystery being disclosed. Before him is the second testimony, the empty tomb. There is also the third testimony, to which Chrysostom especially points: the linen cloths and the napkin that had wrapped the Lord, folded in order.

These testified that, in the event that had taken place, no criminal human hand had disturbed the repose of the tomb. Rather, something supernatural had occurred. The Jews would not have removed the garments and folded the napkin if they had carried away the Lord's body. It was clear to the disciples that the Lord's earthly burial garments were left in the tomb to signify that they were no longer needed. The following verses explain still more clearly the state of the disciples' souls.